Pros and Cons of Bathroom Flooring Options For Your Remodel
Planning a bathroom remodel means sifting through countless decisions.
Below are some of the advantages and disadvantages of different kinds of bathroom flooring to help you narrow down choices that work for your home.
Tile: The default choice is hard to beat.
It is durable, inexpensive, and water resistant.
Although ceramic tile is the most common, glass tile is rapidly gaining popularity.
Glass is a greener choice since most tiles are made from recycled glass.
To avoid a slippery situation, use tiles that have a textured surface.
Stone: Stone is durable, water resistant, and another beautiful choice.
Smooth stone is slippery too, so it's good to get a textured stone like slate or unpolished stone tiles (which require periodic re-sealant).
Stone is the most expensive option.
Vinyl: It can come in sheet or tile form and offers a wide variety of colors.
Vinyl is the most inexpensive choice and is a good option for do-it-yourselfers.
Self-stick vinyl tiles are particularly easy to install, but the seams between them are sometimes susceptible to moisture issues.
Laminate Flooring: Laminate is actually made of layers of resin-impregnated paper and compressed wood chips.
The top layer is a picture of whatever surface you want the floor to resemble including stone, slate, or wood stains of any color.
Laminates are very water resistant and often guaranteed for up to 30 years.
However, if water does get in, you must tear up and replace the whole floor.
Hardwood: Hardwood is another choice for bathroom flooring but it is wise to treat it with additional layers of polyurethane.
Engineered wood is a lower maintenance option.
Created by real wood on top of a plywood base, engineered wood is more moisture resistant than real hardwood or laminate.
Bamboo: If you like the look of hardwood but want to go green, bamboo is the way to go.
Durable and attractive, bamboo is also naturally mold resistant and easy for a do-it-yourselfer to install.
It is not as hard as oak however, and like softer woods, is more sensitive to denting or damage by heavy objects.
Cork: Cork is another green choice that's growing in popularity.
Cork is soft and warm underfoot; it repels water and is naturally mold and mildew resistant.
However heavy objects can create damage and cork is sometimes discolored by sustained sun exposure.
Below are some of the advantages and disadvantages of different kinds of bathroom flooring to help you narrow down choices that work for your home.
Tile: The default choice is hard to beat.
It is durable, inexpensive, and water resistant.
Although ceramic tile is the most common, glass tile is rapidly gaining popularity.
Glass is a greener choice since most tiles are made from recycled glass.
To avoid a slippery situation, use tiles that have a textured surface.
Stone: Stone is durable, water resistant, and another beautiful choice.
Smooth stone is slippery too, so it's good to get a textured stone like slate or unpolished stone tiles (which require periodic re-sealant).
Stone is the most expensive option.
Vinyl: It can come in sheet or tile form and offers a wide variety of colors.
Vinyl is the most inexpensive choice and is a good option for do-it-yourselfers.
Self-stick vinyl tiles are particularly easy to install, but the seams between them are sometimes susceptible to moisture issues.
Laminate Flooring: Laminate is actually made of layers of resin-impregnated paper and compressed wood chips.
The top layer is a picture of whatever surface you want the floor to resemble including stone, slate, or wood stains of any color.
Laminates are very water resistant and often guaranteed for up to 30 years.
However, if water does get in, you must tear up and replace the whole floor.
Hardwood: Hardwood is another choice for bathroom flooring but it is wise to treat it with additional layers of polyurethane.
Engineered wood is a lower maintenance option.
Created by real wood on top of a plywood base, engineered wood is more moisture resistant than real hardwood or laminate.
Bamboo: If you like the look of hardwood but want to go green, bamboo is the way to go.
Durable and attractive, bamboo is also naturally mold resistant and easy for a do-it-yourselfer to install.
It is not as hard as oak however, and like softer woods, is more sensitive to denting or damage by heavy objects.
Cork: Cork is another green choice that's growing in popularity.
Cork is soft and warm underfoot; it repels water and is naturally mold and mildew resistant.
However heavy objects can create damage and cork is sometimes discolored by sustained sun exposure.
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